Husky Offers Solutions to Help Beverage Packaging Manufacturers Embrace Sustainability
Düsseldorf, Germany - Husky Injection Molding Systems today announced its ongoing commitment to helping customers run more sustainable operations. At the K2010 tradeshow (Düsseldorf, Germany, October 27 - November 3), Husky is displaying solutions to help customers be more sustainable, including lightweighting initiatives, technologies that incorporate higher percentages of recycled flake in plastic bottles and proactive energy management.
"Many manufacturers are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of sustainability and the need to minimize the impact their business has on the environment," said Gerardo Chiaia, Husky's President, Asia, Europe, Middle East and Africa. "Lowering part costs, reducing scrap, improving quality and maximizing operational efficiency are all beneficial as these efforts save money and reduce environmental footprint. Husky is committed to providing our customers with solutions to achieve all of these goals."
"Sustainability has always been a priority for Amcor. We have a strong relationship with Husky and appreciate that they share a common goal of developing ways to make beverage packaging more sustainable," said William Long, President, Amcor Rigid Plastics.
Lightweighting to reduce resin usage
Husky recognizes the importance of offering solutions to help customers achieve their lightweighting goals. One example is Husky's EcoBase(TM) preform design, which is running on both the HyPET(TM) HPP and H‐PET(TM) AE injection molding systems on display at K2010. By modifying the base, EcoBase preforms are up to 2.5% lighter than other lightweight preforms, allowing molders to reduce resin consumption.
For many years, Husky has also demonstrated its ability to help customers lightweight parts and deliver faster cycles through improvements to machine performance. As a single source supplier, Husky has made system level improvements to the new HyPET HPP system running on its booth at K2010 that optimize management of the melt stream from pellet to part, resulting in higher preform quality and a significantly improved ability to mold thinwall preforms.
Reducing the carbon footprint of plastic PET bottles
In an effort to increase the content of recycled flake in beverage packaging, Husky developed the HyPET RF system, which is specifically optimized for manufacturing preforms with high percentages of food‐grade recycled flake. The HyPET RF display at K2010 will demonstrate how the system helps to make PET packaging more sustainable by enabling the use of up to 100% post‐consumer, recycled PET flake. First unveiled at Drinktec 2009, HyPET RF is a molding platform that can lower the cost and environmental impact of PET as a packaging material without sacrificing system performance or compromising part quality.
Solutions to reduce energy consumption
Husky's complete solutions approach provides an optimized injection molding system that is more streamlined and sustainable. Because of refinements to the entire system, the HyPET HPP system being displayed at K2010 has the potential to improve energy efficiency by up to 15% in comparison to standard HyPET systems. For example, Husky's high performance resin dryer has a number of energy saving features that result in a typical energy consumption of less than 70 watt hours per kilogram of PET (not including vacuum loader).
At K2010, Husky will also be demonstrating the newly enhanced Energy Management module for its Shotscope NX® process and production monitoring software. The software's latest enhancements provide a finer level of detail into the energy used throughout an entire injection molding facility. The capability to individually monitor all sources of energy consumption, from light fixtures to individual chillers to complete injection molding cells, ultimately provides manufacturers with increased visibility to facilitate more effective energy management.
Proactively working to minimize unplanned downtime and conserve resources are goals that Husky recognizes as being important to its customers. Husky's Manufacturing Advisory Services team helps customers achieve maximum operating efficiency by streamlining processes and lowering energy consumption. For example, by implementing Huskyʹs Total Energy Management program, a leading packaging manufacturer has been able to identify opportunities to streamline operations, which is helping to reduce this facility's annual energy consumption by 18%.
About Husky
Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd. (www.husky.ca) is a leading global supplier of injection molding equipment and services to the plastics industry. The company has more than 40 service and sales offices, supporting customers in over 100 countries. Husky's manufacturing facilities are located in Canada, the United States, Luxembourg and China.
For more information:
Jessica Calleja
Media Relations
Husky Injection Molding Systems
905‐951‐5000, ext. 2924
jcalleja@husky.ca
